Franco-Mexican War

The French Intervention, also called the Franco-Mexican War, was a war between the Second French Empire and Mexico that lasted from 1862 to 1867. In 1862, Conservative Mexicans begged for France to intervene in Mexico to drive out the Liberals, and Napoleon III of France, seeking colonies in the Americas, provided a large army to fight. The French installed Maximilian von Hapsburg on the throne, but he was unrecognized by the people and the Mexican revolutionaries overthrew the government after a long guerrilla war.

Background
Mexico was a relatively new country in the world, having been founded in 1821 in a revolution from New Spain. It was originally an empire, but in 1823 it became a republic, inheriting Spain's vast lands in North America: all of the American West, the Southwest, and Texas. The weak Mexicans lost Texas to Texan rebels led by Sam Houston in 1836, and ten years later the United States, who had incorporated Texas into their country, invaded Mexico and took over all of their North American possessions. In 1853 Mexico sold more land in New Mexico to the USA in the Gadsden Purchase.

In the 1850s, Mexico devolved into a politically unstable country as a series of coups overthrew president after president, and in 1860 it faced a civil war between Conservatives and Liberals, the latter of which wanted to change Mexico's government. The Mexican Conservatives were defeated in the civil war, and they pleaded for help from any country willing. Fortunately, the French emperor Napoleon III of France responded positively, as he claimed that Mexico's president Benito Juarez owned him debts in money; he really wanted to overthrow the government and take over Mexico to add some North American colonies. France allied with the Kingdom of Spain and Great Britain, and they took over Veracruz. Juarez gave the port's treasury to Britain, France, and Spain, and the British and Spanish left with the money. However, the French wanted more, and General Lorencez set out with 7,300 French troops to take Mexico City.

War
The French were victorious against Ignacio Zaragoza at Fortin on 19 April 1862, and defeated the Mexicans many more times. However, on May 5 (Cinco de Mayo), the Mexican rebels trapped the experienced French troops in a canyon and eliminated them in the famed Battle of Puebla. The French were pushed back with heavy losses, but they would replenish their numbers and capture Ciudad Mexico. Napoleon installed Maximilian von Osterreich-Hapsburg as Maximilian I of Mexico, and gained the support of an Austrian Legion from Maximilian's lands as well as a Belgian Legion representing his wife and her country.

From 1862 to 1867 the Mexican rebels fought a series of guerrilla campaigns against the French and Mexican "Imperial" units loyal to Maximilian. Although they lost most of their battles, the Mexicans did not give up and on 20 June 1867 liberated Ciudad Mexico. Maximilian and many of his cabinet were killed, and the French were evicted. Benito Juarez became the new President of Mexico, without the influence of the French or Austrians.